The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) honor the bravery, dedication, and sacrifices of Tennessee’s volunteer firefighters during Volunteer Firefighters Week (March 3-March 9, 2024).

Each year, the first full week in March is observed in Tennessee as Volunteer Firefighters Week to honor and recognize volunteer firefighters for their courageous and dedicated service.

“Tennessee’s volunteer fire departments are the embodiment of the Volunteer State’s spirit as they willingly put their lives on the line for their communities for little or no compensation or recognition to protect the lives and properties of their neighbors,” said TDCI Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Carter Lawrence. “As the Tennessee State Fire Marshal, I salute Tennessee’s volunteer firefighters this week for their work, and I believe that Tennessee’s volunteer firefighters should be honored for their sacrifices every day.”

TDCI and the State Fire Marshal’s Office are committed to supporting Tennessee firefighters and fire responders through several ongoing initiatives:

* The Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant program provides new firefighting equipment to Tennessee’s volunteer firefighters. Under the leadership of Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, grants totaling $16.5 million have been provided to nearly 300 Tennessee volunteer fire departments since 2020.

* The Rescue Squad Grant Program, which is in its second year, has provided $5 million in grants to 133 Tennessee rescue squads.

“Get Alarmed, Tennessee!” has documented 485 saves by smoke alarms installed by fire departments and volunteers since 2012. The 300,000th smoke alarm was recently delivered to the Cookeville Fire Department for installation.

We thank and salute all of our volunteer firefighters in the area!